


Counting Sheep

by Homonym



Category: W1A (TV)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Pining, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-04
Updated: 2021-01-04
Packaged: 2021-03-14 07:08:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,283
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28541559
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Homonym/pseuds/Homonym
Summary: Lucy comes to Ian to discuss a problem. Takes place between S3E1 and S3E2.
Relationships: Ian Fletcher/Lucy Freeman
Comments: 2
Kudos: 1





	Counting Sheep

**Author's Note:**

> Yes I am obsessed with this show. Yes I've watched it like six times, why do you ask? Also no one proof-read this except me, so sorry about any mistakes! This is my first fic.

The water stain on the ceiling looked a bit like a dog. Ian squinted up from his hotel bed, making out a tail and a nose until his eyes unfocused. Like most hotel rooms, this one was an unsettling balance of familiar and foreign. The a/c banged on suddenly and the pipes around it rattled and clanked. It sounded like tiny elves were mining inside. Ian sighed and replayed the events of day in his mind for the umpteenth time, cringing a bit when he thought of the interactions between Anna and Lucy. It was like watching a sparrow interact with a confused and slightly bedraggled hawk.

When Lucy told him earlier that night that her role as Head of Inclusivity was being combined with the already existing Head of Diversity, Ian’s heart dropped first in fear and then into a deep pit of something else. The cause of the fear was easily identified: he didn’t want to lose Lucy. He would miss her mild-mannered comments, her creative ideas. He would miss her comforting presence and her smile. He would miss the warm feeling he felt whenever-- no best not to think about that.

The deep pit of something else, that was harder to identify. He should have been aware of such a major change in the circle of command. For God’s sake, he came up with the circle idea to foster greater communication between departments! And deep down he knew that the person responsible for the reshuffling was probably Anna. She was calculating enough to get rid of someone who regularly outshined her in meetings. Either that or Anna hadn’t realized that there was already a Head of Diversity when she made the Head of Inclusivity post. She was also incompetent enough to make a mistake like that. The pit then, that was probably guilt for not seeing this coming. Tinged with a bit of anger towards the upper management of the BBC. And maybe some self-hatred thrown in for good measure.

He was supposed to protect her after all. Ian sighed and turned over in the scratchy sheets, getting a noseful of hotel-smell in the process. Why did everything have to change just when it was finally going well? The one person in BBC management who wasn’t terrible at her job, about to lose it! He felt his blood pressure beginning to rise, and then he heard someone walking down the carpeted corridor outside of his room. Yes why not, more noise to keep him awake. It was late for room service, and early for cleaning staff, wasn’t it? The steps stopped outside his door and someone knocked quietly.

He immediately knew it was Lucy.

Wait, how did he know it was her so quickly? More importantly, what was wrong? Another BBC disaster? Something with her daughter? This late it could only be something bad. Ian shook the question out of his head as he struggled out of bed and walked swiftly to the door. As he fumbled with the lock and chain, he dimly realized that if Anna’s odd scratching knock had come, he would have just rolled over.

Lucy looked up at him as he opened the door and panted, slightly out of breath partially from the exertion and partially from being middle-aged. Her hair was still swept up in her usual neat bun although a few capricious twists had escaped. Her familiar glasses were also there, but she was wearing a dressing gown. It was a rather becoming shade of blue. She didn’t look panicked, that was good.

“Lucy, what’s the matter? Anything I can help with?”

She looked up at him with a slight frown.

“Oh no, sorry. It’s nothing serious. I was just thinking, you know about what’s happening with the Head of Diversity thing. And you know I was just wondering if…” Lucy trailed off and looked down at her slippered feet. The slippers had bunnies on them, Ian noticed.

“No never mind, Ian. I’m sorry to bother you so late, it was silly really.”

She started to turn. Ian hesitantly put a hand out, and startled himself when he actually made contact with her arm. The dressing gown was pleasantly fuzzy.

“Lucy, I won’t hear that sort of talk. It’s my job to listen to you isn’t it?” Ian managed to get out. “And you know...things are never...never so bad we can’t fix them,” he added hastily.

He refrained from telling her that he had just been thinking about her. Lucy looked up at him. Her mouth trembled for a moment and then folded itself into a tight line. Ian felt his crisis-averting instincts kicked in. Best to get her inside, and comforted then.

He opened the door further and turned to the side to invite her in. She hesitated, then stepped inside and padded her way to the desk chair in the corner. Ian sat down at the end of his bed, across from her, and then there was an awkward pause.

“Would you like some water or ice chips or anything? I think room service is closed, but I can brew you some instant coffee if you like?”

“No, no thanks Ian.”

The silence resumed. Sometimes, Ian knew, it was best to wait and let her start the conversation on her own. She tended to let others talk over her, and he never wanted to do that.

“I was just,” Lucy began, “I was just thinking about the job thing is all. And I know we already talked about it, but then Anna came in and. And, well, we really didn’t get to say much after all. And then, you know, I was just lying in bed trying not to think about it, but I couldn’t help it really.”

Ian nodded encouragingly.

“And I suppose I wanted your advice or maybe just for you to listen to me.” She paused, and looked at Ian with her lovely brown eyes. They were starting to get alarmingly misty.

“Yes, Lucy, of course we can talk about it. I would be happy to listen.”

“Thanks, Ian,” Lucy responded quietly. “It’s just, I know we’re adults and all, but sometimes I want to, you know, scream at the top of my lungs in the Radio Theatre.”

“Right, well--”

“And you know I was already considering leaving before…”

“Before Anna offered you the post?”

“Right before that. And now, well it’s obvious I’m going to have to fight if I want to stay isn’t it. And I just don’t know if I’m up to it is all.”

Ian noticed a tear had crept down her cheek. He reached out and patted her arm again. When had he become so comfortable with physical touch? That wasn’t like him.

“No Lucy, I’m sorry, but I just won’t hear it. I can’t help feeling that this is all my fault and--”

“Your fault? If anything, It’s mine for not realizing something like the Head of Diversity already existed. Of course an organization as large as the BBC has something like that.”

“No, Lucy, it’s not your fault,” Ian said with feeling. Lucy started, it was unlike Ian to raise his voice, and he knew he wasn’t supposed to. Well sometimes, a person had to, especially in situations like this. This was no time for tip-toeing around the point, whatever that point actually was. Ian would figure that out.

“I should have seen this coming,” he continued, “and we both know who is probably at the center of it, one way or another. It’s my job to make sure that this kind of thing doesn’t get out of hand. This isn’t the sort of thing that we should be surprised with.”

“Ian, you don’t have to save everyone all of the time, alright? That’s not your job at all and --hang on, ‘we’?” Lucy looked at him questioningly, her face flushed with feeling.

“Uh, well, yes ‘we.’” Ian managed to get out. “You and me that is. You know, us.”

“Oh I see, us.”

“Us,” Ian repeated back.

Lucy paused for a moment and considered Ian. Ian looked down. This wasn’t like him at all. What on earth was he talking about? Ian cleared his throat. “Well, at any rate, you or me or us or whoever needs to figure this out, alright? Because I don’t think I can well --well I don’t think I can stand going in there without you.”

Had he really just said that?

“You know I need you there. I need you there because I need someone um... actually competent, besides Tracy.” What did he mean ‘need’? A little voice in Ian’s head screamed at him to _please_ _shut_ _up_.

“Right, well.” Lucy tipped her head back and sat quietly for a moment. “Is that a dog on your ceiling or have I lost the plot?”

“I does look like a dog, I think.”

They both gazed up at the water-stain/dog for a while. Then Ian looked down and watched Lucy. She really was beautiful. Did people tell her that often? Maybe Ian should tell her, just in case.

“I’m not even really qualified or competent am I? I mean I was a producer before all this not someone in HR,” Lucy mused, still looking up at the ceiling.

“Don’t you dare say that,” Ian interrupted. “You are more than competent, I think this whole business will prove that. And all of your research about BAME targets, that was quite good. Certainly more than anyone’s done before.”

“Yes, well yes, I suppose.” Lucy didn’t sound very convinced. Ian had to convince her to stay. He took her hand gently, and she looked up at him.

“What I’m really trying to say, although I seem to be butchering it a bit, is that I consider us to be friends. Friends help each other. Friends don’t let friends lose their jobs for stupid reasons.” The little voice in Ian’s head shouted at him again, but Ian ignored it. Sometimes one had to show some emotion.

“Friends?”

“Yes, friends.” Lucy looked somewhat disappointed. “Well a friend is a pretty good reason. For a moment, I was starting to think I didn’t have any at the BBC.”

Ian knew that Lucy could make her own decisions, of course. He didn’t want her to do this just for him. But he also knew that she was good for the BBC. And, selfishly, he knew he was better when he had her to impress. Maybe ‘friends’ wasn’t exactly what he meant.

“Well now you know. And you should also know that the BBC is better for having you. You’re just as good as saving things as I am.” That was a little self-important, but hopefully Lucy understood what he meant. He ranted for a bit about the time with Sadiq, and all the times she had warned him before something happened. He even mentioned her sense of humor. Lucy smiled at him after a while.

“...and after all this, will you really let them push you out? You know that this isn’t right so won’t you think about fighting it?” Ian finished.

“I appreciate you padding my ego, Ian. Perhaps I will, perhaps I will try to stay on.” Lucy said, after considering Ian for a moment. Relief flooded Ian. He looked down and realized he was still holding her hand. He quickly dropped it. They sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes.

“I will help you, as much as I am allowed to. Maybe a little more than that. I mean I really should have been consulted in the first place,” Ian added after a while. Lucy laughed at that, probably at the mulish expression Ian’s mother had often complained about. Or maybe she was laughing at the state of his hair. Ian was good at reading people, but not that good.

“Thank you, I do feel a bit better, I think.” Lucy rose from the desk chair. “I think, I think I’ll get back to bed now.”

“Right, okay.” Ian quickly got up and followed her to the door.

“Goodnight, Ian.”

“Goodnight, Lucy, sleep well.”

Lucy remained in the doorway and they stared at each other. Was he supposed to do something here? Ian held out his arms, and to his relief, Lucy stepped into them. A hug was a bit American, but it was two in the morning.

He wrapped his arms around her. She smelled like peppermint, as always. She chewed a lot of gum to keep from smoking, he knew. Her head came to rest under his chin and she put her arms around his shoulders. They fit together quite securely, Ian thought. He felt the firm muscles of her back, which were quite impressive. Did she lift weights?

After a while, Lucy pulled away a fraction. She looked up and with a determined expression, put a hand to his face. Ian tried to stop the blush creeping over his face and failed spectacularly. Her face neared his, and Ian’s thoughts returned to her beautiful eyes and then broached the exciting new topic of her lips. _Very_ _kissable_ , said the little voice in his head. Her eyes flitted down to his mouth. Ian closed his eyes and leaned forward happily.

He felt her lips press against his cheek. Damn. Well, whatever she wanted was alright with him. He would take anything. Lucy smiled at him again, as she pulled away. Was she blushing too, or was he imagining it?

“Goodnight, Ian.”

“Yes, goodnight, Lucy.”

_Darling_ , he added in his head.

He closed the door, returned to his bed, and resumed staring up at the dog. He didn’t sleep for a long time.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading, I appreciate it! I will probably add another chapter if anyone actually reads this. Criticism is always appreciated, as well!


End file.
